While many Tongans welcome the start of repatriation flights, others are more cautious.
Comments on the Kaniva website following our story last week showed the move has divided Tongans. Some people welcomed news of the flights and said it would be safe if all incoming passengers were quarantined at the border and there were no cases in the community.
Tonga has remained free of the virus so far.
However, others said New Zealand had detected more cases after it was thought the virus had been fought off.
The first repatriation flight are expected to bring Tongans home from Fiji on Thursday, but It could take at least 20 flights to bring home just the 1000 Tongans who have so far registered online for the government’s repatriation flights.
It is expected the return flights will be carry restricted numbers of passengers. It is expected the flights will carry around 50 passengers as the maximum to maintain social distancing.
Another 1000 seasonal workers stranded in Australia and New Zealand have been registered by the Ministry of Internal affairs.
In total, it is thought that about 7000 Tongan citizens are stranded overseas.
In early June Tonga’s Ministry of Tourism said it was planning to repatriate 50 stranded citizens from New Zealand and even conducted a drill for staff.
However, the repatriation flights were put on hold and the Tongan government said it was still in talks with the New Zealand government.
Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa told Kaniva News last week the flight from Fiji was expected to bring some medical staff and their families as well as Tongan students in Fiji.
They will go through two weeks’ quarantine on arrival.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said the repatriation flights from New Zealand would start no later than the first week of August.
Other flights
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Samoa, repatriation flights from New Zealand began in late May.
Repatriation flights between Samoa and American Samoa began last month. Passengers returning from the two Samoas do not have to be quarantined.
Despite the fact that Tonga’s borders remain closed to all but approved flights, one luxury jet company is offering anybody the chance to hire a private jet if they want to get home, either to Tonga or out of the kingdom.
It is unlikely the company will be expecting bookings from anybody who normally flies economy.
The main points
- While many Tongans welcome the start of the repatriation flights, others are more cautious.
- Comments on the Kaniva website following our story last week showed the move has divided Tongans. Some people welcomed news of the flights and said it would be safe if all incoming passengers were quarantined at the border and there were no cases in the community.
